On the face of it, most email systems seem to be very similar. They offer a way to contact and transmit information to people and send attachments. This leads to the notion that since all email systems fulfil the same basic role, they are all intrinsically the same. A recent email migration report published in the Independent has highlighted precisely why this is the case.
Furthermore, the piece has cast light on why nearly 80 per cent of businesses within the next two years are considering making major enhancements and upgrades to their current email systems as part of anExchange 2010 migration.
One of the first things a company will notice when its email system is not up to scratch is the actual running cost. The article cites Microsoft Business Group lead Jacob Jaffe, who stated:
“Email is the backbone of most organisations today, providing the core means for communication with the outside world. Innovation in this platform has moved forward at a blistering rate in the last few years so much so that a customer currently running Exchange 2003 is having to pay up to 40 per cent more to store email and archive content than a customer that has moved to Exchange 2010 or Exchange Online today.”
Yet saving money is not the sole reason businesses are keen to embrace the new Exchange 2010 software as their core system for email. The Mimecast report revealed that keeping up to date with the latest technologies was also a primary reason for businesses wanting to upgrade. Indeed, of the 500 IT decision makers the company contacted, 385 stated they wanted their company to upgrade to Exchange 2010 to take advantage of the software's new features; these include reduced costs to deploy the software across a business, easier administration and access to archived data, improved disaster recovery solutions, and additional features that help to increase productivity.
However, while reducing costs, improving functionality and future-proofing your business are good reasons to consider Exchange 2010 migration, there is another important reason why businesses are opting to make the switch: security.
The article in the Independent quotes the combative words of Monty’s Outlook founder Monty Mumford who, in the light of recent well-publicised breaches of security by hacker-activist groups like Lulzsec and Anonymous, stated: “Complacency about online security is a refuge that only fools would cling to. Businesses are defined by their content and how they manage data and information so those who are unprepared for potential intrusions into that business don’t deserve their customers.” Mr Mumford went on to say; “It can happen to anybody, but it should happen to nobody. There is no excuse, none at all [for a lack of security]. Get wise or get turned over.”
The final reason identified by the report, explaining why businesses are considering Exchange migration, is the growing importance email plays both in generating and maintaining customers. This is significant not just in terms of bringing in new custom but also in ensuring that current clients remain loyal to your company, through a well-timed and relevant email campaign, for example. With 77 per cent of businesses ready to upgrade their email systems over the next two years and with billions of gigabits of vital data needing to be seamlessly ported over, the decision to migrate to a better, more secure and intuitive email system is central to the future development of any business.
